5 Things You Should Do after Rocking the Mic

You’ve given a fabulous lecture, a dynamite keynote, or a thrilling plenary address. You’ve said your good-byes, traveled home, unpacked, and crashed on the couch. You took a hot shower and slept in your own bed. But you’re not done. Here are 5 things you should do after rocking the mic.

1. Review - Take some time to review what went well and what didn’t. What will you do differently next time? Wear more comfortable shoes? Show fewer slides? Bring more business cards? Review everything that took place before, during, and after the gig, including your prep and travel arrangements.

2. Follow-up - Follow-up with your host. Depending on your relationship with hir, send a handwritten note card or email. Say thank you for the invitation and mention something that you enjoyed about the event. If you need to send an invoice, do that separately. Also, dig out the business cards that you collected and send emails to people you met. If you promised to send someone a copy of your slides or an article PDF, do that right away before you forget.

3. Share – Post updates, pictures, and videos to social media. You may have been too busy to follow social media during the event. If there is an event hashtag, respond to some tweets and say thanks to folks who attended.